This invention relates to a harness protector, and more particularly to a harness protector which holds a wire-like member, such as a washer hose and an opener cable, in addition to an electric wire, and is mounted on and along a hinge-purpose elongated member, such as a trunk hinge.
One example of related-art protectors for receiving and holding a wire, such as a wire harness, therein is a harness protector (disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-13949A) in which a plurality of retainers for receiving and retaining a wire-like member, such as a hose for window washer and a cable for a rear door opener of a vehicle, are formed on an outer wall of a protector body which receives and holds a wire harness (electric wire) therein.
Such a harness protector is fixed at a predetermined mounting position by retainingly engaging anchors, which are formed integrally with the protector body, in retaining holes formed in a mounting face (panel face of a vehicle body) or by screw-fastening bracket portions.
In a case where electrical devices such as lamps are provided at a trunk lid, a rear hatch gate or the like, the harness protector is mounted along a hinge-purpose elongated member forming a hinge mechanism for the trunk lid, the rear hatch gate or the like.
The wire harness is received and held in the protector body formed into a shape corresponding to the configuration of the hinge-purpose elongated member, and also the wire-like member is retainingly fitted in the retainers formed on the outer wall of the protector body.
However, when the above harness protector is mounted on and along the hinge-purpose elongated member, the protector body, receiving and holding the wire harness therein, is disposed at the outer face of the elongated member, and the wire-like member retained by the retainers, is disposed on the further outer side of the protector body.
Therefore, the above harness protector, installed along the hinge-purpose elongated member, has a problem that a space for receiving this protector is not good in efficiency, and is large. Particularly, the hinge-purpose elongated member for a trunk lid or a rear hatch gate is exposed to a passenger compartment of a vehicle in a closed condition of the trunk lid or the rear hatch gate, and therefore when the mounting space for the harness protector is large, the amount of projecting of the protector into the trunk or the passenger compartment increases, so that the protector may interfere with luggage and the passenger.
And besides, the wire-like member retained by the retainers formed on the outer wall of the protector body, is exposed to the exterior face of the harness protector, and therefore this wire-like member is not desirable from an aesthetical point of view, and also is liable to be affected by an external force. Particularly, the hinge-purpose elongated member for the rear hatch gate is exposed to the passenger compartment of the car even in the closed condition of the rear hatch gate, and is located at the portion always exposed to the eyes of the passengers, and therefore the wire-like member, exposed to the face of the harness protector, is not pleasing in appearance.
Further, for mounting the above harness protector on the hinge-purpose elongated member, this protector is fixed by fitting anchors respectively into a plurality of retaining holes formed at suitable intervals in the hinge-purpose elongated member. Therefore, the securing force of the harness protector to the hinge-purpose elongated member is determined by the number of the anchors. However, it is difficult to increase the number of the retaining holes, formed in the elongated member which is required to have a predetermined stiffness.
And besides, when mounting the harness protector, the plurality of anchors must be inserted respectively into the retaining holes while positioning each anchor relative to the corresponding retaining hole, and the anchors are tend to be damaged when detaching the harness protector, and therefore there is encountered a problem that the attaching and detaching workability is not good.